Alien Terrorists and Other Crimes and Penalties under the PATRIOT Act

The PATRIOT Act has numerous provisions preventing alien terrorists from entering into the United States. The Act focuses particularly on Canada due to their liberal policy permitting most individuals to enter their country. The Act also permits law enforcement authorities to detain and deport alien terrorists. Individuals who support the alien terrorists may also be deported under the Act.

New Crimes

Under the Act many new and improved crimes were developed. Penalties were also enhanced for existing crimes. Some of the new federal crimes created under the Act include:

• Terrorist attacks on mass transportation facilities.
• Biological weapons attacks.
• Harboring terrorists.
• Providing terrorists with any type of support, logistical, material, or monetary.
• Fraudulent charitable solicitation.
• Conducting terrorist affairs, which affect interstate commerce.

Penalties

Not only were new offenses created under the Act but also penalties were increased for old offenses. Some of the penalties include life imprisonment or punishment under the federal death penalty.

New Procedures under the Act

The Act also provides for new and enhanced procedures to be enacted. The Act includes and increases rewards for information regarding terrorism, authorizes seek and peek search warrants, eases governmental access to confidential communications, and increases federal compensation and assistance programs for American victims of terrorism in the United States or abroad.